(NAME-MCE) Critics say district discriminated against its own diversity advocate

Wed Jul 9 22:17:19 EDT 2008

The game is the same and do you turn it around.

On Wed, Jul  9, 2008 05:31 PM, "Anselmo Villanueva"
<anselmo.villanueva at gmail.com> wrote:
>
July 8, 2008
>
>Critics say district discriminated against its own diversity advocate
>
>The sudden dismissal of a Virginia district's minority liaison has
>angered black community members and other supporters of the diversity
>advocate. "We were appalled," said Reginald A. Early, president of the
>local NAACP chapter. "There is no credible reason for her contract not
>to be renewed, given that she was doing exactly what she was hired to
>do. It just doesn't make sense. There's a disconnect somewhere."
>
>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/08/AR2008070802690.html?hpid=moreheadlines
>
>LOUDOUN COUNTY
>
>Minority Groups Decry Ouster of School Advocate
>	
>Loudoun County's minority community is criticizing school officials
>for failing to renew the contract of the district's first supervisor
>for outreach.
>
>Despite months of lobbying from teachers, parents and organizations
>representing minorities, the school system ended its contract last
>month with Beverly Bennett-Roberts, who was hired nearly three years
>ago to lead the district's diversity efforts.
>
>Supporters of Bennett-Roberts blame discrimination and the school
>system's desire to maintain the status quo for her firing.
>Bennett-Roberts and her attorney, Michael Miller, said the
>termination, which occurred several months after her only evaluation,
>was flawed and failed to follow the school district's written
>administrative policies.
>
>"We were appalled," said Reginald A. Early, president of the Loudoun
>County NAACP. "There is no credible reason for her contract not to be
>renewed, given that she was doing exactly what she was hired to do. It
>just doesn't make sense. There's a disconnect somewhere."
>
>Privacy rules prevent the district from commenting on personnel
>issues, schools spokesman Wayde B. Byard said, adding that the
>district maintains its commitment to diversity.
>
>An advertisement for the job has been posted on the school system's Web site.
>
>Early and others in the community are worried that the district's
>decision will impede progress made during Bennett-Roberts's tenure and
>could have a negative effect on its relationship with minorities.
>
>In her evaluation in February, a copy of which she provided to The
>Washington Post, school officials said Bennett-Roberts had an
>"unwillingness or inability" to stay within her job description,
>failed to alert her supervisor of negative perceptions of the school
>district, failed to follow directions from her supervisor, provided
>internal e-mails to people outside the school system without
>permission of the originator and communicated with outsiders to
>undermine or cast doubt on equity efforts.
>
>"You have failed to develop the trust necessary to build a cooperative
>relationship between outside sources and the school system," the
>evaluation said. "You have demonstrated unethical behavior by
>providing information to outside sources for the purpose of
>discrediting Loudoun County Public Schools."
>
>Edward Bourne, a member of the school system's minority-student
>achievement advisory committee, said that from the community's
>perspective, Bennett-Roberts's performance was "phenomenal." Many
>people don't think the school system is being transparent about the
>issue, he said. "I think there's a lack of trust there that really
>needs to be addressed," he said.
>
>When Bennett-Roberts came to Loudoun in November 2005, there was no
>road map. Her job was a newly created position designed to focus on
>outreach to various parent advisory groups, coordinating parent
>volunteers and working with principals and schools to develop equity
>teams.
>
>More than 30 percent of the school system's 54,047 students are
>minorities, 2007-08 figures showed.
>
>Bennett-Roberts started a monthly diversity-training program and held
>several workshops and symposiums that drew hundreds of parents. She
>documented her experiences in a six-page report, including
>observations that there are no women of color leading any of the
>district's secondary schools and that many minority students and
>parents think they are not noticed. She recommended that the district
>undergo a "cultural audit."
>
>Many minority parents said that for the first time, they thought they
>had a voice and an advocate in the school system. Nearly two dozen
>people from diverse backgrounds spoke in support of Bennett-Roberts at
>School Board meetings in April, May and June.
>
>Bennett-Roberts and her attorney say the school district violated its
>evaluation policies by not having preliminary discussions about her
>performance, and setting goals and objectives.
>
>Bennett-Roberts said she was notified in December that she was in
>danger of receiving an unsatisfactory evaluation. In February, she was
>told that she had not met the district's standard for progress and
>that her contract might not be renewed.
>
>"I never had anything but the December meeting," said Bennett-Roberts,
>who has held similar positions in Baltimore and Minnesota. "I was just
>baffled by this whole process."
>
>She and her attorney said they have not ruled out a lawsuit.
>
>"This is bigger than me. This isn't just my fight," she said. "This is
>about an organization that needs to change. Until they turn the mirror
>on themselves, there will be more Beverlys."
>
>_______________________________________________
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